Hahamongna Cooperative Nursery Update
Councilmember Hampton Supports Nursery; City Manager Promises Plan by Thursday
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Environmental Advisory Commission Strongly Supports Nursery More than 20 supporters packed into the Permit Center Hearing Room in Pasadena Tuesday night to voice their support for the Hahamongna Cooperative Nursery at the Environmental Advisory Commission Meeting. The Nursery was put on the agenda to discuss the future management of the facility and Pasadena's March 23rd eviction notice. Commissioners got a real sense of the enormous community benefit the Nursery has provided since Nick Hummingbird became the Nursery Manger last year. Supporters expressed their commitment to the Nursery and their zeal for volunteer workdays and propagation techniques taught. Others expressed the need for native plants in conservation efforts. Commission Chair Laura Garrett led the discussion. Commissioners were shocked to hear that the Nursery is in jeopardy and agreed on the importance of preserving this community asset. The Commission voted to send letters of support to both City Councilmembers and appropriate city staff. The meeting was a spirited exchange between nursery supporters and the Commission and should result in further support to continue the Nursery's tremendous accomplishments. |
Dear Friends and Supporters:
ASCP, up until now, has been a partnership between Pasadena Water & Power Department and the Arroyo Seco Foundation (ASF). ASF originally conceived the project and secured a $3.27 million state grant to fund it. Since then by a contract with Pasadena, ASF has assisted in the planning and community outreach aspects of the project. Part of the responsibility included propagating thousands of native plants for the habitat restoration compenent of ASCP and planting them with volunteers in a grand community enterprise.
ASCP was supposed to be completed by the end of 2015, so ASF's contract with Pasadena was set to end on that date. Now, however, ASCP has been delayed by a lawsuit. ASF has been requesting meetings for six months with the responsible Pasadena city officials to discuss the completion of ASCP and a long-term agreement to make the nursery a permanent treasure for Pasadena and our community. It's right there in the Hahamongna Master Plan, which designates the facilities as the site of a native plant cooperative nursery.
Imagine our surprise then when we recently received a formal notice last month from Pasadena City Manager Michael Beck notifying us that we are ordered to maintain the plants until March 23 with no compensation and to vacate the nursery premises at that time unless there is a new agreement with Pasadena.
The notice did not address these key questions:
- What will happen to the plants?
- What will happen to the Arroyo Seco Canyon Project?
- What will happen to Hahamongna Cooperative Nursery?
It makes no sense to kill the nursery now, when it can be used not only for the completion of the Arroyo Seco Canyon Project but for other habitat restoration and conservation programs. We want to continue to work positively with the City of Pasadena, but we are disheartened that our efforts and those of hundreds of volunteers don't seem to be appreciated. Neither does the vital priority of promoting native plants as a response to drought and climate change.
We await the "plan" the City Manager has promised for Thursday with some concerns because no Pasadena officials have spoken with us recently critical issues about the plants or the nursery. We urge Pasadena to take immediate steps to allow us to use the nursery on a long-term basis and to ensure the completion of ASCP.
We will keep you informed of the latest developments. As always we greatly appreciate your support.
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Tim Brick |
Nicholas Hummingbird |
